May 31, 2013

Fix things, Not People

Yesterday as I was walking, I pondered about so many things. I thought about how I used to be a sprinter, not a plodder. I thought about how I like to fix things or make them better, and how satisfying it is to create and finish a project. As my mind wandered and I analyzed why I enjoy certain types of jobs and not others, I realized that I like to find a need or problem and fix it.

Then suddently the thought came to me, "Not people, you don't fix people." Often, and I believe I am not alone, when something is not quite right, we try to fix people, when what we should be doing is fixing things. Maybe it is a service that helps people that needs to be fixed, or an education system that needs fixing, or even our legal system. Maybe it is something as simple as a living arrangement or relationships (however, they are not simple). So as grandparents or relatives raising children (or not), you may be dealing with a host of problems you did not create. A lot of things may need fixing, but we don't fix the people, especially our little people. They don't need fixing, only the situation does.